How to get IPv4 addresses
Four routes to IPv4 in 2026: the RIPE NCC waiting list, the transfer market, leasing, and IPv6 as the real fix. Real costs and the policy requirements.
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Today you get IPv4 addresses by one of four routes. You can join your regional registry's (RIR) waiting list, buy a prefix on the transfer market, lease addresses, or deploy IPv6, which is the end state that removes the scarcity problem. The free IPv4 pool at RIPE NCC, the registry that serves Poland, ran out on 25 November 2019, so new entrants no longer receive large allocations. Each remaining route has its own requirements, cost and lead time.
The RIPE NCC waiting list
Since exhaustion, RIPE NCC allocates IPv4 only from a waiting list fed by recovered space (returns, closed LIRs, the IANA recovered pool). To join it you must be a RIPE member (an LIR) that has never received an IPv4 allocation from the RIPE NCC. The maximum allocation is a single /24, that is 256 addresses, a fraction of what most operators need, and the wait is measured in months, often more than a year.
- You must be a RIPE NCC member (LIR) and pay the annual fee.
- The maximum allocation is one /24 (256 addresses), once per organization.
- Addresses come from recovered space, so the pace depends on returns and cannot be sped up.
- The wait is usually many months, with no guaranteed date.
- A single /24 rarely covers production needs for a larger network.
The transfer market and leasing
The transfer market is now the main source of larger IPv4 blocks. You buy the rights to a prefix from another holder and register the transfer in the RIR database under policy (needs verification and a holding period that limits resale, among others). Market prices in 2026 sit in the order of USD 20 to 40 per address and depend on block size: smaller blocks such as a /24 cost more per address than large pools. The alternative is leasing, which rents addresses with IRR authorization and an ROA (RPKI) issued by the holder, without transferring ownership. Leasing lowers the barrier to entry but ties your routing to the continuity of the contract and to correct RPKI objects.
IPv6 as the real fix
The IPv4 shortage is structural, and buying more blocks does not remove it. The end-state solution is IPv6 (RFC 8200), which uses 128-bit addresses and a practically unlimited pool. RIPE allocates LIRs a /32 by default and end sites typically a /48. In dual-stack a network runs IPv4 and IPv6 in parallel, traffic to large content providers goes natively over IPv6, and the shrinking IPv4 traffic can be served from a smaller pool, often with CGNAT. The higher your IPv6 adoption, the lower your dependence on the expensive IPv4 market.
IPv4, IPv6 and AS202520 SkyPass
AS202520 SkyPass delivers IP transit and connectivity in full dual-stack, with native IPv4 and IPv6, from PoPs in Warsaw and Wrocław and peering at Polish IXPs (THINX, TPIX, WRIX, 1-IX). If you have obtained your own IPv4 prefix or lease addresses, we announce it in BGP with RPKI/ROA handling and help you plan a parallel IPv6 rollout, so you can reduce your dependence on the shrinking and costly IPv4 pool.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still get a free large IPv4 allocation from RIPE?
No. The free RIPE NCC pool ran out on 25 November 2019. From the waiting list you can receive at most one /24 (256 addresses), provided you are an LIR that has never received an IPv4 allocation from the RIPE NCC.
How much does buying IPv4 addresses cost?
In 2026, market prices per single address sit in the order of USD 20 to 40 and depend on block size: smaller blocks cost more per address. The cost of a whole block is that rate times the number of addresses, for example 256 for a /24, plus transfer-registration fees.
How does leasing differ from buying IPv4?
Buying transfers the rights to the prefix and registers the transfer in the RIR database. Leasing rents the addresses: the holder issues IRR authorization and an ROA, and you announce the prefix without taking ownership. Leasing is cheaper upfront but contract-dependent.
Is it better to buy IPv4 or deploy IPv6?
You acquire IPv4 to serve existing traffic and customers that need IPv4. IPv6 is the end-state fix that removes the shortage. In practice you run dual-stack: a minimal IPv4 pool plus a full IPv6 deployment.